It’s silent, unsuspecting, and you probably walk all over it every single day without a care in the world. We’re talking, of course, about staircases.

Don’t be fooled by their fancy railings and carpet coatings – they’re coming for you. And there’s no escape, either. Whether you live in an apartment building, or a multi-level house, or anywhere really, you’re bound to encounter one at some point in your day.

You see, stairs, the series of seemingly-harmless steps you climb all the time, actually massacre 365 Canadians a year. That’s right, stairs kill one Canadian every single day, while sending another 270 to the hospital. That’s 365 deaths and almost 100,000 injuries per year. Because of “harmless” steps.

Which means it’s time we get them before they get us.

Part of the reason stairs are so dangerous, according to the Toronto Rehab Institute, is because Canada’s building code has only called for the steps to measure in at 8.25 inches, well below the length of some people’s feet. When you step on a stair and half of your foot still hangs over the edge, that leaves you more prone to falling forward and wiping out.

That’s why scientists with the institute argued steps should have to be two inches longer, which increases foot stability and ultimately prevents injury. This new data is now mandated in Canada’s building code, and is expected to save 39 lives and prevent 13,000 falls over its first five years of implementation.